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Viking Thought

“Paradoxically, the Vikings sometimes contributed to the development of cities. Often their plunder came to more than they could carry home, and they sold the surplus. A town strong enough to resist attack might thereby profit from the misfortune of its less prepared neighbors. The Vikings even founded cities. Where the looting was good, they built base camps to use as depots for trading. One such was Dublin. And they gave a helpful stimulus to York by making it their headquarters, though the original inhabitants might not have appreciated the favor.”

From Life in a Medieval City by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies

Just a brief passage that spoke to me while I was doing some bathroom reading (the modern equivalent of a monk’s cell.)